


Traditions

by CinderFelly



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fireworks, First Kiss, First Love, Fluff, Identity Reveal, Mutual Pining, New Year's Eve, New Years, Romance, they both need glasses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-08
Updated: 2016-01-08
Packaged: 2018-05-12 12:34:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5666206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CinderFelly/pseuds/CinderFelly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adrien's holidays usually aren't worth celebrating, but when he notices something about a certain girl . . . <br/>He just might give the old traditions a try.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Traditions

**Author's Note:**

> This is a thing I kinda threw together last minute on New Years. It was originally supposed to be like 400 words, but I kinda got carried away on tumblr. eh. First time ever writing for ML (and first time writing a fic in a while) so I hope you all like it.
> 
> It was originally based off of this gifset. http://sasaiko.tumblr.com/post/136344439963/i-wont-need-any-dreams-its-all-there-if-youre

Adrien was beyond used to being lonely, by now. He really had to be, all things considering. Despite all of that, though, there was just something about the holidays which made his insides shrivel up. Seeing the world so bright and cheerful and warm while you were left in the cold and dark was a real mood killer.

Christmas hadn’t been as bad as he’d thought it would be, this one had even been better than any he’d had in a few years. He’d been given a Ladybug plushie, by the girl herself, and got to spend a bit with her (sadly, Volpina had showed up as well). It had been enough to keep him smiling hours after.

But New Years … the fireworks, physical sounds of people having fun, the fact that he had a party to slop through alone, as his père was (surprise) working again and could not manage to attend. He felt his stomach growing heavy and heart frosting over as it droned on. This time, because of the party, he wouldn’t even get to see Ladybug, forget about the special midnight kiss he had fantasized over.

His head falls back onto the seat, lungs deflating with a heavy sigh. He was about to continue his mental complaining and wishing, when a flash of familiar red caught just in the corner of his eyesight. Adrien’s head whips around, eyes widening a bit as he tries to catch even one more glance. When he does, and gets confirmation, he feels his lips tug up.

Speaking of Ladybug …

Adrien could practically feel his heart melting, a very different sigh escaping his lips as he watched his partner swing through the night. She was probaby heading home, maybe hoping to catch the new year with her family. She just had to be tired, but all that echoed off of her was a sense of wonder and elegance.

Beauty, grace, AND strength? Sometimes Adrien could almost swear his lady was a guardian angel sent to protect the citizens of France, and he was just lucky enough to stumble near her . . . Despite the idea, she WAS human, and heading home. The car followed her path for a bit, and he felt nearly giddy.

He would never admit it, but despite the fact that they didn’t–couldn’t–know the identities of one another, he almost always thought about it. Those they had fought were, of course, ruled out but … who was she? Did she go to a school like him, or was she attending a university? Where exactly was she heading? He would’ve known, had he been paying attention. But he was so caught up in her, in his thoughts and the ache in his chest …

Adrien didn’t realize they were near the Dupain-Cheng’s until Ladybug’s transformation ended.

“Stop the car!”

Tires screech, and Adrien’s body jolts forward, painfully straining against the seatbelt at the unexpected halt, but none of that mattered. Not when his jaw had fallen quite a bit, eyes surely to be as big as saucers as he tried to understand …

He tosses some excuse he doesn’t really remember at the driver, vaulting out of the car and into motion. Marinette was … a girl from his school was . . . one of his friends . .

Had he really been so blind? Blood pumps in his ears, teeth scraping along his bottom lip as he looks from his lady and back to the car where the driver was waiting. He had to go to the party, and he was late as it was but … his gaze finds Marinette’s balcony again, where she is leaning over and watching the fireworks, and a small smile sets itself over his lips.

Adrien doesn’t even hesitate. “Plagg, claws out!”

— —- —

When Marinette had heard of the party her parents had been invited to cater, her excitement could not be contained. Gabriel Agreste’s New Years Party. A fancy party with big people in the fashion world, and Adrien–pinch her, she must be dreaming.

She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. What if they happened to stand next to each other at midnight? Would he laugh it off or would he be her first kiss, right then and there? She could hardly contain her squeals at the amount of scenarios.

All of that planning, and dreaming, of course set her hopes up too high. Which is why, when Chat Noir apologized and said he more than most likely wouldn’t be able to make all of patrol, leaving her to take the rest of the load …

Well, it had stung. A lot. Marinette had moped for an entire day, making up an excuse to her parents as to why she couldn’t help, and probably annoyed the heck out of poor Tikki. She would parol extra because it was her job but … that didn’t mean it was fair or that she had to LIKE it.

The bitter feelings had left (mostly, anyway) and she sighed lightly, leaning over her balcony and watching the colors explode on black. It maybe wasn’t as exciting as kissing Adrien Agreste, but this would be a nice way to ring in the new year.

A sense of peace had overcame her, only to be all but shattered by the one voice she had counted on not hearing until next year.

“Happy Halloween.”

Marinette closes her lips before a laugh can get out, blue eyes trailing down and landing on the sight of a very smug cat. Maybe she should be irritated that she missed the party and he had made it to patrol alright, but all she could muster right now was amusement.

“It’s just a little late for that, kitty.”

Chat’s grin widens, and he slaps his palm onto his forehead with an exaggerated movement. “Ah, but of course! All of the fireworks … it must be Independance Day!”

“Oh, so close. But I’m afraid we’re not American.”

“Thank God for that.”

Now Marinette can’t help the giggle that fills the air, eyes lighting up with a playfulness that only ever seemed to be brought out around her partner.

There’s a small beat of silence where Chat makes his way up to the outside of her balcony, but it’s not unpleasant. If anything, it’s comfortable, even. Maybe, if he stays just a few more minutes … maybe tonight won’t be a total bust.

“What are you doing here, kitty?” Her voice is softer now, hand fitting by his on the rail. He pauses in his ascent over, wide grin splayed on his face.

“Rescuing the fairest maiden from the night of boredom she was surely having without me.”

“Nice try,” Marinette manages after a beat of silence, ignoring the slight confusion at his words. He was obviously teasing–Ladybug was his ‘fairest’ and as far as he knew, she wasn’t Ladybug. Small hand lifts, cupping his cheek and smirk pulling at the corners of her lips. “But take it from the top–your acting isn’t very believable.”

Being this close to Chat, she caught the immediate change in him. Chest rising, eyebrows knitting together for a moment, before a laugh fills the air and he swings himself fully over the rail and makes some puns or boasts or something. Marinette stopped paying attention to the specifics for a moment.

It was almost like he was … nervous. But that was ridiculous; what would Chat Noir have to be nervous around her for? She was just Marinette.

“–really, I could ask you the same question. Did you not get invited to any parties, princess?” A chuckle passes over the cat’s lips. “A little too much for everyone to handle?”

A huff passes Marinette’s lips, eyes rolling, though her smile didn’t dim any. “I’ll have you know, I was going to go to Gabriel Agreste’s end of the year event. Very high class and elite, don’t be sad if you didn’t get an invite.”

She’s not prepared for the sudden intake of breath and choked laughter that comes from the other, and narrows her eyes at him. His hands were covering his mouth, as if he realized his mistake, but his shoulders were shaking as if that was the funniest thing that he had heard all night. Hands situated themselves onto her hips, all but spearing him with her eyes. “He did invite me!”

“Oh no, my--princess, I don’t doubt that for a second.” Chat Noir’s voice was still filled to the brim with amusement, which made her own irritation spike. “But, uh, if you did get this invite to a very elite event–what pawsibly could’ve kept you from attending.”

No one can blame her if she takes a second for her to groan, because honestly–that pun was one of his worst. It’s then that Marinette notices a snag: what would keep a wannabe-fashion designer like herself away from a party like that just for this? Beyond the Ladybug excuse because it’s not like she could just tell Chat that.

Her mind goes blank for a moment, sheepishly chuckling and scratching at the back of her neck. Marinette leans up on her toes for a bit, Very Pointedly looking up at the fireworks and not even remotely in Chat’s direction.

“I, uh … had to … . something just came up? That’s all. My parents still went but I–a cake! I had to stay to give a woman a cake and it was very boring but I’m like mostly over it.” Smooth.

Chat let’s out a low sound of acknowledgement, and Marinete can feel a low heat creep up her neck. A beat of silence stretches over them, and she can feel him staring daggers into her back. It’s uncomfortable, and she’s almost tempted to turn around but–surely, that would be worse.

A few minutes pass, but as they’re stuck in that staring stage at the moment, it feels like much more. Chat’s voice fills the air once more, but instead of cutting the tension, his low tones seem to cake it on further.

“Gabriel Agreste is Adrien Agreste’s father, right? I’m sure he would’ve been happy to have you there.”

A near bitter laugh is pulled deep from Marinette’s chest at that–Adrien hardly knew her, really. Alya was right when she said they needed to talk more … despite her fantasies, he most likely wouldn’t have cared either way. “And what would you know of what Adrien thinks, Chat?”

“I just do.” Something about the way it was said, so simply and blunt–an irrefutable truth … it made the hairs on Marinette’s arm stand up and sent a small chill up her spine

She wraps her arms around herself, almost wishing she had her sweater, and noticed that the main firework show should be ending soon. The climax and grand ending should happen at midnight, symbolic in a way or something like that. She would definitely miss the distraction.

“I also know that he would have been honored to have you be his midnight kiss.”

Despite the same simplicity, Marinette’s face grew hot FAST. She sputtered, turning on her heel and feeling anger fuel her from the inside. He’d had to have figured out her crush on Adrien, what kind of JERK Chat Noir was. Talking like she had hope to actually kiss Adrien, teasing her like–

Breath catches in the teens throat, accusations and mad rants stopping before they ever had a chance to begin. She’s frozen, and this has to be a dream. Honestly, there is no way this wasn’t a dream because in real life it just wasn’t possible for Adrien Agreste to be right where Chat Noir had just stood.

A soft “Huh” is all she can manage to make out, jaw flopping like a fish and brain trying fervently to process the situation. Adrien is there, looking at her in ways only Chat Noir ever had. And only when she was Ladybug. Adrien was looking at her like …

She felt her face burning hotter, heart thudding wildly in her chest. Adrien laughs, his expression of adoration only growing at her obvious confusion and irritation.

“Bonne année, my lady.”

There’s so much that should be said right now. So much to go through, so much to talk over. But … when Marinette’s phone beeps and signals the new year, really only one thing is left on either of the teens minds.

Hand gently caresses her face, pushing a strand of hair back behind her ear. He’s so close, her very body is thrumming with adrenaline and she’s nearly vibrating off the high. She’d known Chat Noir was suave, but seeing the grin with Adrien’s face … it was interesting, to say the least.

“May I kiss you?”

The question comes soft, and almost scared of rejection, but Marinette immediately finds her lips curving into a nervous smile of her own, head nodding a bit eagerly.

“It is tradition.”

It’s said how much they both want this that he doesn’t laugh or even try to make a pun, instead he just leans down and–and Marinette leans up a bit, arms wrapping around his neck as sturdy ones slip into place behind her back.

His lips are soft and taste like chocolate, and his arms are warm and safe and … she folds into him so easily. Kissing Adrien, kissing Chat–it felt like coming home.

They have more to talk about later, and things to do but … with the fireworks blazing behind them, they can’t help but to live in the moment. It may not be the kiss either of them dreamed about initially–but in the long run, it was so much better.


End file.
